Safety device for hoisting apparatus



H. A. OWENS & E. BENSON. SAFETY DEVICE FOR HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED 001'. 2a, 1912.

1,052,948. Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[f g E T Z WITNESSES INVENTORS M? [Zn 1474a; 5/l 0 ha a f: A 51 Allorney COLUMBIA PuNouRAPH COJ. WASHINGTON. D. c'.

H. A. OWENS & E. BENSON.

a SAFETY DEVICE FOR HOISTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION PILED OUT. 29, 1912.

1,052,948; Patented Feb. 11, 1913,

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASH\NGTON. D. c.

HENRY A. OWENS AND EDWARD BENSON, OF MIAMI, ARIZONA; SAID OWENS ASSIGNOR T0 SAID BENSON.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR HOISTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

Serial No. 691,549. Divided and. this application filed October 28,

1912. Serial No. 728,182.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY A. OWENS and EDWARD BENsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Miami, in the county of Gila and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for I-Ioisting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of hoisting apparatus employed for raising and lowering buckets in mine shafts. In an apparatus of this kind a cross-head is employed which runs up and down in the shaft on guide-rails mounted on the walls of the latter. The hoisting line which carries the bucket is coupled to the cross-head, and means are provided whereby said line is uncoupled from the cross-head when a certain depth in the shaft is reached, after which the line is paid out to lower the bucket to the bottom of the shaft, the crosshead, in the meantime, remaining stationary, it being locked to the guide-rails. When the bucket is hoisted it is again coupled to the cross-head and the latter is released so that both the bucket and the cross-head may now ascend.

The present application is a division of our application, Serial No. 691,549, filed April 18, 1912, and the object of the invention which is the subject of the present application is to provide novel and improved means for coupling the hoisting line to the cross-head, and for uncoupling the same.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application thereof; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the position of the parts when the cross-head is locked and the bucket has been released and lowered.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes the usual guide-rails located in the shaft, on which rails the cross-head travels. The crosshead comprises three cross-beams 11, 12 and 13, respectively, which are spaced apart vertically and fastened at their ends to guide-shoes ll, the latter being channelshaped in cross section so as to fit over the rails 10, they being in sliding contact therewith. The hoisting line 15 carries a coupling bar 16 to which is connected a short chain 17 carrying a coupling member 18 to which latter is connected a short chain 19. The hoisting bucket 20 is connected to a hook 21 carried by the chain 19.

The top cross-beam 11 is a channel-beam having its flanges pointing downward. In the web of said beam is an opening through which passes a tubular extension 22 rising from a vertically sliding block 23 located beneath the beam. On the top of the beam 11, over the opening therein, is mounted a tubular guide 24 for the extension 22. The line 15 passes through the bore of said extension and through a continuation of said bore in the block 23, the diameter of said bore being less than the diameter of the coupling bar 16, in View of which said coupling bar cannot pass therethrough, and the cross-head therefore held suspended from the block 23.

The block 23 is free to move toward and from the beam 11, it being slidably mounted on guide-rods 25 extending between said beam and the beam 12, and made fast thereto in any suitable manner. Movement of the block 23 in the direction toward the beam 11 is opposed by springs 26 coiled around the rods 25 and a spring 27 coiled around the extension 22 between the block and the beam. Between the flanges of the beam 11, near the ends thereof, are pivoted, as indicated at 28, dogs 29 which are adapted to be jammed against the rails 10 to lock the cross-head thereto as will be presently described. The dogs are connected by links 30 to the block 23. hen the block slides upward the dogs swing away from the rails, and when the block slides downward, the dogs are thrust forward to grip the rails. The action is similar to a toggle, in view of which the dogs will be thrust forward with considerable force and firmly held in engagement with the rails so that there is no danger of the cross-head jarring loose and dropping down the shaft.

The intermediate cross-beam 12 has an opening in which is mounted a sleeve 31 of such diameter that the coupling-bar 16 may pass therethrough. A similar sleeve 32 is carried by the bottom cross-beam 13, the

diameter thereof being such that the coupling-bar as well as the member 18 may pass therethrough.

The bottom cross-beam 13 is a channelbeam having its flanges pointing downward, and between said flanges are pivoted, as indicated at 33 two opposite jaws 34: between which the hoisting line and the coupling devices, carried thereb are adapted to pass. The web of the beam has slots from which the jaws extend. The jaws are pivoted to swing in a vertical plane and their gripping ends meet when the jaws are closed. In the meeting ends of the jaws are apertures 35 which coincide to form an opening when the jaws are closed. This opening has a diameter which permits the hoisting line 15 to pass therethrough when the jaws are closed. The coupling members 16 and 18 however cannot pass through said opening in this position of the jaws as their diameter is greater than that of the opening. When the bucket 20 is being lowered wit-h the cross-head, the coupling member 18 is above the jaws and therefore forms an abutment which prevents the hoisting line from being paid out to lower the bucket independent of the cross-head. However, upon opening the jaws, the coupling member 18, as well as the member 16, can pass, and the hoisting line may be paid out to lower the bucket.

The following means are provided for automatically opening the jaws to uncouple or release the hoisting line 15 from the crosshead. Between the flanges of the beam 13 are pivoted, as indicated at 36, releasing dogs 37 which are hooked or otherwise connected at one of their ends to the jaws so as to swing the same open when actuated. The other ends of the dogs eXtend downward from the beam 13, and in the path of said ends are located stops 38, which latter are mounted on the guides 10. The beam 13 carries yokes 39 into which the last-mentioned ends of the dogs extend, said yokes serving to limit the downward swing of said dogs and thus preventing their disengagement from the jaws.

The operation of the appliance herein described is as follows: WVhen the cross-head and bucket are descending the parts take the position shown in Fig. 1. The coupling bar 16 engages the bottom of the block 23 and the weight of the cross-head therefore causes the block to slide upward against the tension of the springs 26 and 27, which retract-s the dogs 29. If the hoisting line 15 should break, the block 23 is at once forced downward by the springs, thereby applying the dogs 29 and stopping the cross-head. If the cross-head should get stuck in the shaft, the bucket will not be lowered if the hoisting line continues to pay out, for the reason that the member '18 cannot pass the jaws 34. The release of the hoisting line from the cross-head is effected as follows: When the dogs 37 strike the stops 38, the jaws 34 are opened, which permits the members 16 and -18 to pass downward therebetween. The dogs 29 also come into action at the same time and lock the cross-head. Fig. 3 shows the position the parts assume when the cross-head is locked and the hoisting line uncoupled. It will be understood of course, that the stops 38 will be positioned in the shaft so that the operation takes place the proper distance from the bottom of theshaft, and as the dept-h of the shaft increases, the stops will be relocated lower down in the shaft.

It will be noted that the jaws 34L converge upward in the direction of their gripping ends. It will therefore be evident that the heavier the weight of the load, the more firmly the jaws will grip the coupling mem ber 18. The jaws also extend above the cross beam, and the latter therefore serves as a support and brace for the same.

The appliance is strong and durable and has no complicated parts to get out of order, in View of which, it is highly efficient and reliable in operation.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, but it will be evident that various changes and modifications may be made without a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting apparatus, a cross-head, guides on which the cross-head travels, a hoisting line passing through the cross-head, means for limiting the upward movement of the hoisting line relative to the cross-head, pivoted jaws on the cross-head between which the hoisting line is adapted to pass, an abutment on the hoisting line for preventing downward travel of said line when the jaws are closed, pivoted dogs engageable with the jaws, and means for actuating the dogs to open the jaws.

2. In a hoisting apparatus, a cross-head, guides on which the cross-head travels, a hoistingline passing through the cross-head, means for limiting the upward movement of the hoisting line relative to the cross-head, pivoted jaws on the cross-head between which the hoisting line is adapted to pass, an abutment on the hoisting line for preventing downward travel of said line when the jaws are closed, pivoted dogs engageable wit-h the jaws, and stops on the guides in the path of the dogs for actuating the same to open the jaws;

3. In a hoisting apparatus, a cross-head including a cross-beam, guides on which the cross-head travels, a hoisting line passing through the cross-head, means for limiting the upward movement of the hoisting line relative to the cross-head, pivoted jaws carried by the aforesaid cross-beam above the same and converging in the direction of their gripping ends, between which jaws the hoisting line is adapted to pass, an abutment on the hoisting line for preventing downward travel of said line when the jaws are closed, and means for opening the j aws to release the hoisting line.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two wltnesses.

HENRY A. OWENS. EDWARD BENSON.

Witnesses ROBT. FIOKER, N. FORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

